Decisions, decisions.

So I'm somewhat settled, I've got a roof over my head, friends around me, food in my belly, and hopefully by the end of the week a job (more on this later). This means I can sit back, relax and let NZ come to me right?

AW HELL NAW!

I gotta get out there, see things! Do stuff!

Luckily, we're entering into the best season of the year...no not summer. And certainly not winter (remember? I ran away from that stuff).

It's Festival season. (Not to be confused with Festivus) Let's look at the offerings shall we? Or at least just the ones that I've taken into consideration.

There is the infamous Big Day Out, or as I have called it: Why Didn't This Happen When I was 17?
Headliners of note: Tool, Rammstein, M.I.A., Iggy and the Stooges,
So this is interesting, two bands I would have killed to see back in high school, one I've seen and have recently gotten over (sorry folks, but MAYA didn't really grab me) and a legend in the flesh. Unfortunately I'm not as much of an Iggy fan as Sick Boy or Rents so that only has passing appeal.
Verdict: Meh. (17 year old Elliot however, just shat his pants)
Undercarders of note: Lupe Fiasco, Deftones, The Black Keys, LCD Soundsystem, A Primal Scream, Ed Sharpe, Die Antwoord, Andrew W.K., Crystal Castles, Ratatat, Pnau. Nothing much else.
Again, a band I would have given anything to see when I was a wee one (Deftones), it's like they're trying to taunt me or something. Lupe has been impressing me lately, especially with the ChildRebelSoldier stuff with Kanye. James Murphy was responsible for the single greatest moment of my life at Sasquatch last year. Primal Scream is kind of a passing interest, no love here for Die Antwoord, Crystal Castles is also of the mild interest as I've heard lots about how shit they can be live. Out of the entire list, I guess I'd love to see Ed Sharpe again, and Andrew W.K. seriously knows how to bring the ruckus and I'm interested to see if he's changed gears since admitting he was created by corporate types.
Verdict: Again, an unfortunate meh. Even 17 year old Elliot is on the fence.

Overall: Not this year my friend. (Sidenote: Seeing Nick Cave in Grinderman in his native land would be pretty ballin though)

On to the next one...Laneway! Now this is a festival I can get behind, BEHOLD!
(not really sure who counts as a headliner so I'll just list this as must sees and wanna sees)
Must sees: !!!, Beach House, Cut Copy, Les Savy Fav, Local Natives, Two Door Cinema Club, Warpaint, Yeasayer.
Uh-oh, I'm in trouble. As in a plane ticket to Melbourne full of trouble (I just can't do the Auckland date as it's missing LSF, Cut Copy and Local Natives. Unacceptable.). This list could have easily included all the bands below, but I'm being reasonable here y'know? You never get to see everything you want to, so you have to narrow it down. I haven't really narrowed anything down here though, so I expect schedule conflicts. Oh well, there's dust on my diamond wah wah. Half these bands I've seen before, and loved to death: !!!, LSF, Local Natives, Warpaint. The other half is bands that have somehow eluded me, but NO LONGER!
Verdict: This is the Double Rainbow of festivals.

Wanna sees: Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti, Blonde Redhead, Deerhunter, Foals, Holy Fuck and Menomena.
Damn this festival is loaded for just a single day. Again, I'm in serious trouble.
Verdict: I don't think I have enough ears for this one.

Overall: Deffo going to this one, tickets go on sale in two days. All that remains is a plane ticket to Melbourne and we're in business. Major props to my buddy Zak who informed me of this lovely little shindig, and who will be coming down from Brisbane and experiencing this with me:



Yeah, that's hot.
Supermegabonuspoints go to the fact that I may just be able to meet up with KP and Trav whilst in Melb. How about dem apples?

The third and final festival on the radar: Camp A Low Hum.
Now, I'm accustomed to camping style festivals, so this is definitely on my list. I know nothing of the acts, but almost everyone in the house is going, ergo fun regardless. It also differs from the other festivals in spirit:

Campus A Low Hum, or CALH was previously known as Camp A Low Hum and is my quest to create the world’s most unique, considerate and musically astonishing festival. At its very core is a want to create an event that I would actually enjoy myself. This means: BYO, being able to come and go as I please, a diverse range of music, intimate shows, multiple environments, shaded areas, grassy areas, interesting non-musical activities, non-clashing schedules and not being bombarded with advertising and a constant sound battering.

Sounds good don't it? I figure it's a triple threat of seeing some rad bands that I'd never see otherwise, a good way to see more of New Zealand, and finally one hell of a party. Barring unforeseen circumstances, I should be making this one.

That's it so far on the festival front, and to say the least I'm effing stoked.

So, how the heck am I supposed to pay for all this fun huh? I may have finally locked up the job. I was going to explain more, but don't want to jinx it so you'll all just have to hypothesize amongst yourselves (i.e. mom) and tune in by the end of the week. (god in heaven help me if I don't have something by then)

Here's a little inspirational ditty that was in my head today for y'all...



With love and desperation,
The Talented Mr. Fisher